Sanitary laminated pad



June 10, 1941. G, B. 'rRAvls SANITARY LAMINATED PAD Filed Nov. 22, 1937 www Patented June 10, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE aflc.

Application November 22, 1937, Serial No. 175,992

(Crim-46) 1 Claim.

'I'his invention concerns personal hygiene and aims to provide a sanitary and effective means for cleansing after defecation.

It is especially an object to provide such a means which is inexpensive and capable of manufacture in small size with ability to accommodate and discharge an ample quantity of cleansing liquid, and such a means as will not. shred or disintegrate through the washing or cleansing motion, although the means will pass off in toilet bowls and disintegrate in the water upon standing therein, with equal facility with toilet paper so as to avoid danger of clogging or stoppage.

Another object is to provide a means of the present character which will aid in the prevention of rectal diseases and disorders caused by irritations and infections resulting from fecal matter lodging in minute crevices or fissures.

More specifically, the invention provides a layer or wad of cellulosic material for absorption, retention and subsequent discharge of cleansing liquid covered at least on the washingside with a material which is less readily disintegrable, as, for instance, a layer of absorbent cotton, the other side being covered by a layer of paper or the like overlapping a portion of the absorbent cotton, which paper is tougher and less rapidly disintegrable than the cellulosic material and absorbent cotton, giving body and strength to the assembly while it is being used and enabling the user to handle the assembly in a sanitary manner.

One more phase of the invention is to produce a novel unitary cabinet and normally closed liquid-dispensing means to contain a supply of the articles for individual removal and application against the liquid-dispensing means to receive a supply of the liquid.

The more specific objects and advantages will in part be pointed out and otherwise become apparent from a consideration of the description following taken in connection with accompanying drawing illustrating one embodiment, by Way of example.

In said drawing,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the personal hygiene article constructed in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of a modified form of such an article;

Figure 3 is a front elevation of a unitary container cabinet and liquid-dispensing means used with the article, with the cover removed to disclose details;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of such cabinet;

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Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken through the entire cabinet on the plane of line 5-5 of Figure 3; i

Figure 6 is an inverted plan view of the cabinet; and,

Figure 7 is a longitudinal detail sectional view through the liquid-dispensing valve.

Referring specifically to the drawing wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts, and first to the personal hygienearticle or Washer, the assembly is designated l0 and may be manufactured in any desired size, for instance, approximately two inches square and one-half of an inch thick. This article I0 has a Wad or layer II of cellulosic material against which is disposed a layer I2 preferably of absorbent cotton although it may be of textile fabric or any equivalent. Wad or body II may be of that character designated as cellulosic tissue; a kind of paper of layer built type or free subdivided type; creped cellulose paper; loosely packed layers of cellulose sulphite fibers, or the like. Such layer I2 is adapted for cleansing contact with the body after defecation. Saidwad II and layer I2 are adapted to be saturated with a liquid and the body after defecation is cleansed directly with the layer I2 aided by the liquid. The layer I2 will not shred or disintegrate during the said washing and cleansing action like the cellulosic material II will do and the danger of shreds or particles containing the liquid and/or fecal matter remaining on the body or being caught in the clothing is avoided. At the same time, the cellulosic material is employed because of its superior ability to absorb, hold and discharge a greater quantity of Water per unit of size than the absorbent cotton, and thus to ultimately discharge the maximum quantity of liquid. While said Wad I I and layer I2 are usually saturated with water, any desired liquid may be employed and the Water or other liquids may contain a disinfectant or other chemical, if desired, and this is to be understood wherever water is herein specifically referred to.

Against the other side of the wad II, a layer or sheet I3 is provided being preferably of relatively tough paper so as to give body and strength to the assembly and to be impermeable to the Water during the short time it remains in the hand. Thus, there is minimum danger of contact of the hand with the water and/or fecal matter. To aid in gripping and holding the article I0 with maximum sanitation, said paper I3 has a flange or end portion I4 turned to overlap a portion of the absorbent cotton layer I2. Said wad Il, layer I2 and paper II 'need not be attached to each other, as it is suiiicient if they are merely in contact. The used articles I are dropped in toilet bowls like ordinary toilet paper, and are disintegrable by the water to avoid danger of clogging or stoppage.

As shown in Figure 2, a second layer of textile material I2* may be employed, which is interposed between the wad II and paper sheet I2, which adds body to the assembly.

The said articles I0 may be packed, stacked, or arranged in any desired or convenient manner. For example, I provide a cabinet I6 having vertical partitions I1 to provide vertical side compartments I6 in which the articles I0 are superposed and retained by a bottom wall 2li and lateral anges I9 on the sides of the cabinet and on the partitions I1. A removable liquid container 2|, for instance, of glass, is located between the partitions I1, resting on wall 2li and retained behind vertical anges 26' on said wall 20. A reinforcing bar 22 extends across cabinet I8 at the top and is connected to the flanges I8. Container 2I has a normally closed discharge valve device 24 in its base, about which the wall 20 is cut away at 23 to permit insertion and removal.

Container 2l ts somewhat loosely in the cabinet and extends above bar 22. There is sufiicient clearance between the parts to enable the container to be inserted by disposing the same behind bar 22 and above iianges 20* and then permitting the container to lower behind flanges 20'| onto Wall 20.

A cover section 25 fits over cabinet I5, and consists of a main wall 26 and an upper wail or flange 21. Wall 26 at its lower edge is hinged at 26` to the forward edige of wall 2li to permit the cover section to be lowered and it is cut away at 23 in continuation of space 23 for the same purpose. Such cover section 26 is held in closed position by a conventional latch at 21'. Wall 26 has slots 26 and 29 therethrough so that the contents oi the compartments I6 and the container 2l may be viewed.

Flanges I6 terminate above bottom wall 2l so that the washer articles III may be removed through slots Ill in wall 26, and the gripping of such articles is facilitated by notching the walls 26 as at il.

Rieverting to the vaive device 24, it may be ot any desired construction. For instance, it may be a tube or barrel 32 normally closed by a ball valve 33 contacting a gasket 24 supported by a iiange 36 and urged to its seat by an expansive coil spring I6 bearing against a neck 31 surrounding the outlet opening ll of the container. Said tube 32 is detachably screw threaded nt l! to said neck to permit removal of the valve device for inspection and repair and to enable refilling of the container through said opening Il. The ball 33 projects partly youtside oi' the tube l2. One or more of the articles III may be used for each cleansing operation and any of such articles may be pressed momentarily against the ball 33 to open it to permit water or other liquid to ow onto the layer I2 and wad Il, following the removal of each article, the valve or ball I3 automatically closes or seats.

Various changes may be resorted to within the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

A sanitary laminated pad for toilet purposes, comprising a layer of ceiluiosic wedding of the same compactness throughout and' disintegrable in water, a layer o! absorbent cotton of the same compactness throughout disposed over the aforementioned layer in water-absorbing contact therewith, and a backing layer of tough waterresistant paper approximately coextensive with the aforementioned layers having a portion extending in overlapping relationship at one end only over said layer oi.' absorbent cotton, said overlapping portion covering only a narrow strip ot the layer of absorbent cotton, all of said layers being readily separable.

GEORGE B. TRAVIS. 

